One of the worst fears that public speakers have is that they
will forget their speech. I'm sure none of us would want to feel
the embarrassment of standing in front of an audience not knowing
what to say next.
If you do happen to experience a "memory blank" in your speech,
there are some things that you should keep in mind. First, DON'T
PANIC! The worst thing you can do is to get upset and immediately
start apologizing to the audience or going "UM UM UM" over and
over again.
Instead of panicking, just remain quiet, keep eye contact with
the audience, and try to remember what it was that you were going
to say. What may seem an eternity to you will only be a second or
two to the audience, and your loss of memory will only seem like
a pause to them as long as you don't announce that you've made
a mistake.
To prevent embarrassment, you should also to always have a back
up to your memory a few notecards with a simple outline of
your speech is always nice to have, even if it remains in your
pocket the whole time.
Finally, remember that audiences are usually more forgiving than
we normally give them credit for. Most groups don't care if you
have to stop to take a look at your notes, as long as you provide
them with good information.
About the Author
Ron Sathoff, manager of http://InternetWriters.com, offers a full
range of services to business and professional speakers,
including speech writing and editing, personal coaching, and
presentation development. You can reach him at ron@drnunley.com
or 801-328-9006.